D10 Gasteren

Hunebed

D10 Gasteren (Hunebed) on The Modern Antiquarian, the UK & Ireland's most popular megalithic community website. 9 images, 1 fieldnote, 1 weblink, plus information on many more ancient sites nearby and across the UK & Ireland.

Images (click to view fullsize)

Fieldnotes

Hunebed D10 Gasteren is located in the Gasterse Duinen, a nature reserve covered in stretches of sand dunes and peaty heathland. Nowadays it is fenced off because it is used as a grazing area for sheep and highland cattle, but remains open for access to walkers. It is at its best in August and September, when the surrounding heather is in bloom.

From the centre of the village of Gasteren, head north along Oudemolenseweg for just under a kilometre, where you will find a car-park on the right. From here, a sandy footpath leads eastward through the heath and after just 150 metres you will be standing beside the hunebed.

D10 is a small and somewhat incomplete hunebed. Only two of the original four capstones remain, although it still retains its full complement of side stones and end stones.

If you walk or cycle from Gasteren to the hunebed, you can vary your return by continuing along the footpath for another 150 metres till you encounter Schipborgerweg. Head to the right along this road, which rejoins Oudemolenseweg after 400 metres and takes you back to the village.

Miscellaneous

Translation of the text in the photograph of the D10 Gasteren Information Stone

(This stone has now been replaced by a more modern information board)

Agriculture and animal husbandry of the Hunebed builders
The study of pollen grains, which have been preserved for thousands of years under the dolmens, gives us information about the environment at that time, and the impact of humans on it.

The fields lay as small open spots in extensive oak forests. The trees were felled with stone axes. The remaining stumps and bushes were burned so that the ash would improve fertility. They grew buckwheat, barley and flax.

Ploughs and wagons were pulled by oxen. Cows, goats and sheep grazed in clearings in the woods and along the streams. Pigs rooted around in the forest. Everyone kept dogs, but not yet chickens. Hunting and gathering were not forgotten. Game, fish, poultry, fruits and nuts provided variety and vitamins.

Polished flint axe of the megaliths builders
Axes like this had a shaft and were used for cutting down trees for the construction of houses and to clear land for agriculture.